Karen, et al
What a library is has a lot to do with what
the funding bodies think is worthwhile. Ideally
librarians would control their own destiny the
way, for example a neurosurgeon might do.
But they don't supply their own funding and the
business case is less compelling.
At a big library, much of the user education content
concerns physical locations, call number systems, loan penalties,
the Hold shelf, etc. All of that becomes irrelevant.
Then you've got Ebsco Discovery, Summon, OCLC and
others to come making the discovery process easier
than ever.
Training in critical thinking is essential of course,
but we don't have a monopoly on it. It's going to get
harder to justify library staff.
regards
Mark
>
> That assumes that libraries provide no services around the materials
> -- that they simply license them and then leave the users to their own
> devices. Is that how you see libraries?
>
> kc
>
>
> Quoting Mark Huppert <Mark.Huppert_at_ANU.EDU.AU>:
>
> > Librarians == accountants
> >
> > The main reason for libraries is efficiency. A centrally
> > housed and managed collection is a great time saver for the
community.
> >
> > So is pooled acquisitions funding under central management.
> >
> > If everything literally goes electronic, managing the money becomes
> > the main task of 'librarians'. Therefore they become accountants
> > with good knowledge of the products they buy - a bit like department
> > store Buyers.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > ========================================
> > Mark Huppert
> > Library Systems and Web Coordinator
> > Division of Information
> > R.G. Menzies Building (#2)
> > The Australian National University
> > ACTON ACT 0200
> >
> > T: +61 02 6125 2752
> > F: +61 02 6125 4063
> > W: http://anulib.anu.edu.au/about/
> >
> > CRICOS Provider #00120C
> > ========================================
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> >> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Jim Weinheimer
> >> Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2011 6:31 PM
> >> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> >> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] "Is a Bookless Library Still a Library?"
> >>
> >> On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 10:50 PM, B.G. Sloan <bgsloan2_at_yahoo.com>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> > From Time magazine:
> >> >
> >> > "We've been hearing about it for years, but the bookless library
has
> >> > finally arrived, making a beachhead on college campuses. At
Drexel
> >> > University's new Library Learning Terrace, which opened just last
> > month,
> >> > there is nary a bound volume..."
> >> >
> >> > See: http://ti.me/ooq5PI
> >> >
> >>
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Karen Coyle
> kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
> ph: 1-510-540-7596
> m: 1-510-435-8234
> skype: kcoylenet
Received on Sun Jul 17 2011 - 21:26:31 EDT